This week’s Straight Dope for the CHROPE (CHRO in a Private Equity Portfolio Company) features insights from Chris Schmelzer, a leader reshaping how organizations approach large-scale change.
About Chris:
Chris has led global transformation programs as a management consultant and is the founder of TheChangeMindset.app, a platform designed to democratize change enablement across organizations. He is currently building the Chief Change Officer Network, a qualified marketplace of fractional change management experts. Chris also publishes a weekly newsletter on modern change leadership strategies at www.chiefchangeofficer.blog.
Why Fractional Change Management Is Surging
Over the past several years, the gig economy has matured far beyond contract labor and part-time creatives. Advancements in technology, shifts in workforce expectations, and changes in employer hiring practices have paved the way for a new category of specialized talent: fractional executive resources.
Fractional CFOs, CHROs, CMOs, and CTOs have already become mainstream. Now, the next evolution is here—fractional change management leaders.
A quick LinkedIn search tells the story:
There are 190,000+ open roles requiring “change management” as a skill, qualification, or core competency. The demand for organizational change expertise is skyrocketing. But the supply of full-time, long-term roles that genuinely support a career path in change management remains limited.
The Problem: Traditional Options Don’t Work for Most PE-Backed Companies
Today, CHROs or business leaders looking to staff change management capabilities typically have only two choices—and both have major drawbacks.
Option 1: Hire a Full-Time Director or Manager of Change Management
On paper, this seems like the logical route. But in practice, PE environments make this difficult.
The challenges:
- Long hiring cycles: It often takes 90+ days to source, screen, hire, and onboard a change leader—burning precious time in a fast-moving transformation.
- Limited career runway: Once the major initiative ends, the change leader often has no clear place to go. Ironically, if they do their job well, they may work themselves out of one.
- Cost and headcount pressures: Not every portco can justify a full-time FTE exclusively dedicated to change management.
Option 2: Hire a Consulting Firm
This option solves the speed problem—but introduces new pain points.
The downsides:
- Prolonged scoping and contracting cycles that delay momentum.
- High fees, largely driven by the consulting pyramid (you pay for every rung).
- Rigid billing structures, often charging 40–45 hours a week regardless of actual usage.
- Limited continuity once the engagement ends.
In short: you either overspend or move too slowly.
The Solution: Fractional Chief Change Officers (CCOs)
A fractional CCO provides deep expertise in organizational change without requiring a full-time headcount or large-scale consulting contract. It’s the same model that made fractional CFOs and CHROs so effective—now applied to one of the most critical capabilities in today’s workplace: change enablement.
Fractional change resources deliver focused, high-impact support precisely when you need it.
Here are three major benefits:
1. Access to High-Level Expertise—at a Fraction of the Cost
Fractional change leaders are typically paid hourly or project-based, allowing PE firms and portcos to:
- Control costs
- Avoid unnecessary overhead (benefits, office space, training)
- Only pay for actual utilization
- Accelerate transformation timelines without paying consulting markups
They bring senior-level expertise without the burden of full-time compensation structures.
2. Flexibility That Matches the Rhythm of Change
Portfolio companies experience natural cycles of activity: deals, integrations, restructurings, divestitures, technology rollouts, and culture initiatives.
Fractional resources allow you to:
- Scale capacity up or down instantly
- Add specialized skills only when needed
- Avoid being locked into long-term contracts
- Move quickly without headcount constraints
This agility aligns perfectly with the rapid pace and complexity of private equity environments.
3. A Broader, More Diverse Talent Network
Because fractional change professionals are not tied to geography or traditional employment models, portcos gain access to:
- Global change experts
- Deeply specialized talent
- Retired leaders seeking flexible work
- Former consultants looking for meaningful, project-based engagements
- Diverse perspectives that challenge legacy thinking
This expanded talent pool can elevate strategy, accelerate project outcomes, and inject innovative thinking across change initiatives.
Where This Trend Is Headed
The demand for scalable, flexible, cost-effective change talent will only continue to grow—especially as PE portfolio companies juggle transformation, workforce shifts, technology modernization, and culture evolution simultaneously.
Organizations need capability. They need speed. They need expertise.
Fractional change leadership delivers all three.
About the Chief Change Officer Network
At The Chief Change Officer, Chris and his team are building the world’s first marketplace dedicated to trained, experienced fractional change management resources.
In addition to talent placement, the platform includes:
- Change Management Training Academy
- Change Enablement Technology Tools
- Frameworks and templates to standardize change execution across portcos
It’s a modern, scalable solution designed for PE firms and fast-moving organizations that need to accelerate transformation without adding unnecessary cost or headcount.
